Uninvited, Yet Indispensable

In a time of extreme crises, major social issues, intense market forces and precarious working conditions, architects are seeking new ways to express their commitment. Increasingly, they are taking the initiative themselves, with unsolicited and experimental practices that contribute to urgent themes, deepen architectural practice and at the same time hold up a mirror – to themselves and to the sector. In doing so, they seek free space, parallel to regular building practice, detached from economic logic and functional expectations. In these practices, architecture not only provides an answer to a client’s question, but the architect himself asks the questions.

For this issue on parallel practices, A+ asked Evelien Pieters to act as guest editor. Commissioned by the Flemish Architecture Institute, she and Bart Tritsmans conducted research into these unsolicited practices of architects. They interviewed nearly thirty architects, who spoke about a diversity of parallel practices ranging from design research to artistic interventions, and from material experiments to participatory or activist projects. For the architects, the added value of this type of project lies in the enrichment of their own practice through experimentation and reflection, in innovation and knowledge sharing in the field, and, last but not least, in the added value for society.

Many parallel practices arise from a strong critical engagement. They question the status quo, the role of the architect and of architecture as a discipline, and strive to become part of the solution rather than the problem. Els Vervloesem and Evelien Pieters argue that in the most impactful projects, designers not only manage to imagine alternative worlds, but also demonstrate a politicising ability to influence public debate and policy.

In Brussels, we see a long line of protest movements and political engagement in which architects also stand up for the shared right to the city. Carla Frick-Cloupet and Anne-Laure Iger discuss how activist initiatives are often separate from mainstream, ‘professional’ architecture. This creates the impression that mainstream practice can be separate from political life, as if they were separate worlds. Frick-Cloupet and Iger believe the opposite: political engagement should exist in every practice, whether parallel or mainstream.

To take on this responsibility, Adeola Enigbokan puts forward the concept of the ‘Shadow Client’. In her essay, she challenges us to enter entirely new worlds. In doing so, she questions the meaning and responsibility of architecture to make public and often invisible interests visible. Her text holds up a mirror to us as readers, encouraging us to take a critical look at the power of architecture.

The instrument of the Bouwmeester labels, now with variants in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia, makes the diversity of self-initiated projects and research visible. Year after year, we see strong proposals that regularly lead to impactful results. The labels make a lot visible, they set projects in motion, and provided there is a broad and sustainable ecosystem that offers space for critical, independent practices, they could continue to challenge and renew the sector.

Because no matter how socially relevant and essential they may be, ‘unsolicited’ often means unpaid. This makes critical architects and practices vulnerable. How can you sustain working on the basis of commitment? Sophia Holst outlines how this question plays out in her own practice today. We see young architects, driven by ideals and a vision for the future, colliding with a sector that does not sustainably support their efforts. That is why it is time to stop allowing these practices to operate on the margins. They deserve a place at the heart of the discipline: as fully-fledged, parallel forms of architecture. With space – including financial space – to grow, reflect and continue to challenge.